Bagged material reconditioning machine



May 6, 1952 c. D. FOX

BAGGED MATERIAL RECONDITIONING MACHINE 2 SHEETS SHEET l INVENTOR. Clarence D.F0x

ATTORNEYS Filed Feb. 7, 1950 May 6, 1952 c. D. FOX 2,595,237

BAGGED MATERIAL RECONDITIONING MACHINE Filed Feb. 7, 1950 2' SI-IEETS-Sl-IEET z IN VEN TOR.

Clarence D. Fox BY ATTORNEYS Patented May v6, 1952 BAGGED MATERIAL RECONDITIONING MACHINE Clarence D. Fox, St. Hilaire on Richelieu, Quebec,

Canada, assignor of one-half to Maurice S. Cotterell, North Sidney, Nova Scotia, Canada Application February 7, 1950, Serial No. 142,741

1 Claim. 1

The invention relates to a machine for reconditioning materials, contained in cloth or paper bags, when such materials have become hardend through storage, moisture or other conditions.

A great many granular or powdered materials, such as sugar, salt and the like, are usually put up for sale in cloth or paper bags. Such materials when stored for any length of time, particularly where there is considerable moisture in the air, become hard because of the grains or particles adhering to each other so as to form a solid body rather than a granular mass within the bag.

The instant invention contemplates the provision of a machine for readily and economically reconditioning such hardened bagged material without injury to the material or to the bags in which it is contained.

Another object of the invention is to provide a bagged material reconditioning machine having means for subjecting a bag of material, to intermittent, alternate blows, or pressures, in planes perpendicular to each other.

A further object is to provide a machine of this character having four movable plates therein, forming a rectangle of substantially the cross sectional shape and size of the bag of material to be reconditioned, with means for simultaneously moving the opposite ends of two opposed plates intermittently toward and away from the bag.

A still further object is to provide a machine of the type referred to having means for intermittently moving the second opposed pair of plates toward the bag as the first pair of plates is moved away from the bag, and vice versa.

Another object of the invention is to provide such a reconditioning machine in which all of the parts are operated through a series of levers 1 andlinks, controlled by a pair of eccentrics mounted upon a single drive shaft.

A further object is to provide such a machine in which the plates may be located in any position from the vertical to the horizontal, one pair of the plates intermittently conveying the bagged material through the machine, regardless of the position in which they are located.

A still further object is to provide a machine of this character in which a breaker plate and a back plate are opposed, and opposite ends thereof are pivoted, the other ends of these plates being alternately swung toward and away from each other, opposed side plates being located perand having a complex motion by which they in-l termittently seize the bag of material, lift it, and pull it through the machine, simultaneously producing a crushing action upon the material in the bag, these motions being rapidly repeated during the travel of each bag of material through the machine. The above and other objects apparent from th drawings and followin description, may be attained, and the above advantages and results obtained, by the apparatus, construction, arrangements, combinations, sub-combinations and parts which comprise the invention, a preview, taken as on the line 4-4, Fig. 1.

Referring now more particularly to the em-' bodiment of the invention illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout, the machine includes a drive shaft l0, journalled in bearings II and having a pulley l2 mounted thereon for connection by any suitable means, such as a belt, to a prime mover.

Fixed near opposite ends of the drive shaft I0 is a pair of eccentrics l3. Connecting rods or links It, provided with eccentric band portions I5 receiving theeccentric's l3, transmit motion from the eccentrics to a shaft 16. This shaft is journalled through one end (the entrance end) of a pair of levers ll, fulcrumed intermediate their ends upon a shaft I8 journaled in bearings I9 mounted upon a stationary portion of the' machine, as indicated at 20.

A spaced pair of links 2! are pivotally connected at their upper ends to the shaft I6 and their lower ends carry the pin or rod 22, which is supported by a pair of depending ears or lugs 23 mounted upon the back, or outer side, of the entrance end of the breaker plate 24.

A pair of lugs 25 are mounted upon the back of the discharge end of the breaker plate 24, and receive a pin 26 mounted in bearings 21, which are fixed upon a stationary portion of the ma chine, as indicated at 28.

Opposed to the breaker plate 24, and spaced therefrom approximately the thickness of the bags of material to be reconditioned, is a back plate 29. Ears or lugs 30 are mounted upon the back, or outer side, of the entrance end of the back plate 29 and pivotally mount the same upon the pin 3|, which is carried by the lugs 32 mounted upon stationary portions of the machine, as indicated at 33.

A pin or rod 34 is connected to the discharge ends of the levers l1 and carries a pair of links 35, the opposite ends of which are connected by the pin 36 to lugs 3'! mounted on the back of the discharge end of the back plate 29.

A pair of side plates 38 are located in spaced,

opposed position, perpendicular to the breaker plate and back plate 24 and 23 respectively, and spaced apart a distance approximately the width of the bags of material to be reconditioned in the machine.

These side plates, together with the breaker plate and back plate, roughly form a rectangle, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawings. Each of these side plates is formed integrally with or rigidly connected to one arm 39 of a bell crank lever which is fulcrumed as at 40 upon a stationary portion of the machine as indicated at 4|.

The other arm 42, of each bell crank lever, is angularly disposed and provided with a slotted or notched end 43 engaging the pin 36, as best shown in Fig. 1. A slide, or chute, 44 is located at the entrance end of the machine to receive bags of material to be reconditioned.

In the operation of the machine, the bags of material to be reconditioned are introduced dwon the slide 44 to the machine and as. the drive. shaft I is operated, through the linkag and leverage above described, all of the plates will be'continuously moved in the manner above described.

The forward end of the bag is seized by the side plates 38 and with successive motions thereof is lifted and pulled into the machine, at the same time sustaining a crushing action between the side plates 38, as they move toward each other.

The breaker plate 24 and back plate 23 are simultaneously rocked upon their pivots 26 and 3| respectively, so that the entrance end of the breaker plate and discharge end of the back plate simultaneously move toward and then away from the bag, subjecting the bag to a crushing blow or pressure, in a direction. perpendicular to the pressure of the side plates.

The complex movement of the side plates, produced by the bell crank levers .-3942, simultaneously moves the side plates in a continuous cycle inward, upward, forward, downward, outward and rearward, and, then continuously repeats this cycle intermittently, grasping and lifting the bag and moving it step by step through the machine while at the same time the above described movements of the breaker plate and back plate are continued, thus intermittently subjectingthe bag to crushing pressure or blows by. the side plates, the breaker plate and back plate, as the bag is carried through the machine by the side plates.

At the time the back plate and breaker plate attain their most proximate positions and commence to retract, the movement of the pin 36, by virtue of the bell crank levers 3942 and the angular fulcrum pins 46, produces the inward, upward and forward movement of the side plates.

The inner faces of all of the plates may be made according to a variety of shapes and sizes, to permit of the reconditioning of a diversity of bagged material, and for the same purpose all ofthe linkage and leverage may be made of any suitable size and length.

Although the machine is shown with the main longitudinal axis at an angle of about 30 degrees to the horizontal, as best shown in Fig. 1, it should .be understood that the machine may be mounted with the main longitudinal axis at any angle, from the horizontal to the vertical, to suit various Working conditions.

I claim:

A bagged material reconditioning machine comprising apair of spaced plates opposed to each other and located longitudinally through the machine, a fulcrum at the entrance end of one plate and a fulcrum at the discharge end of the other plate, a second pair of spaced plates opposed to each other and located perpendicular to the first named plates so as to form an open rectangle therewith, a drive shaft, an eccentric upon said drive shaft, a lever, a fulcrum interme diate the ends of the lever, a link pivotally connecting one end of the lever to the discharge end of one plate of the first named pair of plates, a link connecting the other end of the lever to the eccentric, a link connecting said last named end of the lever to the entrance end of the other plate of the first amed pair of plates, bell crank levers having one end of each rigidly connected to each of the second named pair of plates, a fulcrum intermediate the ends of each bell crank lever, and means pivotally connecting the other end of each bell crank lever to the pivotal connection. between said first named link and the discharge end of said first named plate, for simultaneously rocking the opposite ends of the first named pair of plates toward and from each other and simul taneously moving the second named pair of plates toward each other, then upward and then forward, so as to seize a bag of material, lift it and carry it forward through the machine, the movement of the two pairs of plates toward each other being alternate.

CLARENCE D. FOX.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

